John Justice, the head of Google's Stadia product, has left the company.
ON THIS PAGE: John Justice, the head of Google's Stadia product, has left the company.
- The executive has recently spoken out about Stadia features being overpromised.
- Google's subscription service, which debuted in 2019, was notorious for launching without a host of hyped social features like State Share and Crowd Play.
- Why did Google's Stadia product leader, John Justice, leave?
- What's next for Google Stadia?
- Journey of Survival and Horror Gylt is one of only a handful Stadia-exclusive characters.
- Hellpoint, a Souls-like game, will be available on Google Stadia in 2021.
The executive has recently spoken out about Stadia features being overpromised.[ps2id id='The executive has recently spoken out about Stadia features being overpromised.' target=''/]
It wouldn't be a stretch to claim that Google Stadia has had a turbulent year in 2021. The promise of 100 new games (to add to its goal of 400 releases) has been a highlight, with high-profile titles like FIFA 21, Outriders, and Resident Evil Village among them. But, it's the lows that have naturally gained the most attention and borne concerns about Google's loyalty to its successful cloud gaming service.
The most recent report of an executive resignation at Stadia is expected to add heat to the flames over the gaming service's future. John Justice, Google's VP and head of product, has reportedly left the company, according to The Details.
Google's subscription service, which debuted in 2019, was notorious for launching without a host of hyped social features like State Share and Crowd Play.[ps2id id='Google's subscription service, which debuted in 2019, was notorious for launching without a host of hyped social features like State Share and Crowd Play.' target=''/]
Stadia recently debuted a web search bar, which was one of the most requested features. Google announced Justice's departure to 9to5Google, but he has yet to change his LinkedIn profile.
Stadia's problems date back to February, when the company agreed to close its internal studios in favor of third-party gaming. Google was forced to patch a crucial flaw in Journey to the Savage Planet on Stadia shortly after the announcement, after its creators had apparently moved on due to the shake-up.
With Google's track record of killing off utilities, Justice's departure is sure to raise some eyebrows. However, with its current rollout and all of the latest games that continue to find their way through the site, this does not imply that Stadia is dead and buried. Furthermore, the operation retains a number of executives, including director of games Jack Buser and VP and general manager Phil Harrison, to steer the ship.
Why did Google's Stadia product leader, John Justice, leave?[ps2id id='Why did Google's Stadia product leader, John Justice, leave?' target=''/]
This information came to us through Engadget and was verified by Google. Justice's role on the Stadia mission was to negotiate content for the ill-fated streaming service, as well as offer new choices and generally present Stadia to the gaming audience. Google has not yet announced who will take up Justice's position, but Stadia still has its video games director Jack Buser and regular supervisor Phil Harrison, indicating that this is not a complete management shake-up.
Journey of Survival and Horror Gylt is one of only a handful Stadia-exclusive characters.[ps2id id='Journey of Survival and Horror Gylt is one of only a handful Stadia-exclusive characters.' target=''/]
Looking back, we should have seen something like this coming. Google said in February that it will be closing its development facilities, while veteran Ubisoft producer Jade Raymond left the company at the same time. Later that month, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported some of Stadia's launch issues.
According to reports, the company did not provide its development staff with the time or resources to produce fresh Stadia content. In addition, Google is said to have spent “tens of thousands of thousands of dollars…PER Stadia port” to bring video games onto the platform. Google seems to have no idea what to do with Stadia or how to best manage it.
What's next for Google Stadia?[ps2id id='What's next for Google Stadia?' target=''/]
Stadia, on the other hand, is not completely dead. Last month, there was an indie craft-'em-up. Terraria has made its long-awaited debut on Google's streaming service. In addition, three new independent video games – Battle Billiards, Bushido Bots, and Fragments – have received further financing for Stadia development through the Playcrafting Play Wherever Sport Jam. Google has announced that it will add more than 100 video games to Stadia this year, so the Mountain View tech behemoth is unlikely to abandon its streaming service just yet.
Hellpoint, a Souls-like game, will be available on Google Stadia in 2021.[ps2id id='Hellpoint, a Souls-like game, will be available on Google Stadia in 2021.' target=''/]
Souls of Science Fiction Hellpoint is unquestionably one of the numerous video games coming to Google Stadia this year.
Despite his efforts, Stadia's situation isn't looking good. It still has a fairly good team on board to manage it, but Google has a history of closing down businesses and projects that aren't succeeding. Remember Google Plus? It is now a part of Google Graveyard. This is hope that Harrison and Buser, along with the rest of the crew, can turn this one around and build something more long-lasting in Justice's aftermath.
Do you have a Stadia subscription? What do you think of the platform's current state? Tell us in the comments section!
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